Shrewsbury fire tragedy: Daughter tells of 'horrifying' moment she watched blaze that killed her mum - but vows to rebuild home in her memory
A daughter has told of the “horrifying” moment she watched as a catastrophic fire engulfed her childhood home, killing her beloved mother in the historic house she had painstakingly restored.
But, she has vowed to rebuild it in her name.
Shrewsbury was rocked on Tuesday when Rose Roberts, aged 81, died in a fire at Perches House, off Castle Street - the 14th-century town house which was used as Scrooge’s office in the 1984 film A Christmas Carol.
Hundreds of tributes have poured in for Rose, including from her daughter, Jessica Richards, who described her as an “amazing woman”.
Jessica told of her heartbreak, but also how she is determined to save her mother’s legacy by rebuilding the house.
She said: “The fire started on the ground floor, in mum’s room and travelled up through the wattle and daub walls and original oak staircase.
“Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion, but the cause is still unknown.
“We all live in a flat on the other side of the street and saw it firsthand including our 8-year-old daughter - it was horrifying not being able to do anything.”
She added: “Perches House was my mum’s home and also home to my own business Shrewsbury Arts & Crafts.
“Many visitors to Shrewsbury still recognise it as the setting for Scrooge’s office in the 1984 filming of ‘A Christmas Carol’.
“Mum spent over 40 years saving, restoring and opening this house to the public, for which she was awarded a Civic Award.
“I am asking for help to stabilise and rebuild the house she dedicated her life to, so her legacy — and an irreplaceable part of Shrewsbury’s history — is not lost forever.
Building Control has confirmed that the house can be saved, but only with immediate and substantial intervention.
“The shop is still largely intact but smoke damaged. Already, around £100,000 is needed just to stabilise and secure the structure — and this is before any restoration work can even begin.”
An online fundraiser was launched yesterday evening and, by around 11pm had already garnered more than £2,000 having not been set live for long.
“Perches House was not just my mum’s home, it was her life’s work,” Jessica said.
“Mum lived there from the age of 37 until she was 81. She spearheaded a campaign to save the building from decline and restored it with care and knowledge and her own hard labour.
“She secured its Grade II-listed status and was awarded a Civic Award for her work. Without her, this house simply would not have survived.
“To me, the house is my mum. They are completely intertwined.
“From the moment I was born, this was the house she brought me home to.
“Every room held a lifetime of memories, antiques, artworks, furniture, toys, and objects collected across the world — not just things, but the story of our lives together.
“Mum even opened the house as a toy museum and ran public tours, sharing her love of history and craftsmanship with the wider community.
“Perches House was once one of the great medieval mansions of Shrewsbury — as significant as Rowley’s House or Owen’s Mansion.
“Over centuries it was divided into parts, but Perches House remains the oldest surviving section, a vital piece of the town’s medieval fabric.”
Jessica revealed that the damage to the building is “catastrophic”, with the roof having completely burned through, the original oak staircase destroyed, the upper floors saturated with water and the ceiling at risk of collapse.
She also said that parts of the structure are unstable and have required urgent propping and weatherproofing.
“From my kitchen, I can see straight through the building to the sky,” Jessica said.
“Building Control has confirmed that the house can be saved, but only with immediate and substantial intervention.
“Already, around £100,000 is needed just to stabilise and secure the structure — and this is before any restoration work can even begin.”
She added: “At the time of the fire, due to complex circumstances, the house and its contents were left without cover.
“That means there is no financial safety net for the building, for its restoration, or for the loss of my mum’s lifetime of work and my only source of income.
“The shop frontage and the private residence at 35A Castle Street are two entrances to the same historic building, and both have been severely affected.
“I have lost my beloved mum, my home, my livelihood and a building that holds centuries of Shrewsbury’s history
“But I refuse to let this be the end of her story.
“Mum could do anything. She wasn’t a qualified architect, but she drew plans, project-managed restorations across Shrewsbury and beyond, and had an instinctive understanding of historic buildings.
“She believed in craftsmanship, in doing things properly, and in preserving the past for future generations.
“I want to rebuild Perches House as her legacy — The House That Rose Rebuilt.
“My hope is not just to restore it as a home, but eventually to reopen it to the public once more — as a place of history, art, memory and creativity.
“Perhaps an art gallery, perhaps a cultural space — but always a living tribute to the woman who saved it once already.
“This isn’t just about me, it’s about saving one of Shrewsbury’s most important historic buildings.”
Jessica said funds will go directly towards emergency structural stabilisation of the building, propping and securing the roof, temporary weatherproofing, specialist surveys and heritage inspections, like-for-like restoration work required for a Grade II-listed building and salvaging and conserving what remains of the house and its contents.
“Every pound helps keep the building standing while we await full reports and permissions,” she said.
“If you are able to donate, share, or simply help spread the word, you are helping to save not only a building — but a story, a legacy, and a piece of Shrewsbury’s soul.
“The figure we are currently seeking to raise is at present a ballpark figure. We will be updating this as we have specific information and an estimation of the amount needed to stabilise and rescue this historic building (engineers, scaffold, emergency work, planning, etc).
“We will be completely transparent in this and will update our supporters as and when information comes in.
“Let’s build this back - for Rose, for Perches House, for Shrewsbury and our historic heritage.
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Jessica also paid tribute to the fire crews who “entered conditions beyond what their equipment could safely withstand” to try and save her mother.
